Thursday, March 18, 2010

Ah, Helms Bakery. It's like a home-making, feather-nesting Disneyland for grownups, complete with gourmet carnival food (Father's Office burgers, the Let's Be Frank hot dog truck). But few know the secret identity of Venice Blvd., the street adjacent to Helms. At first glance, it's just another product of LA's insane civil engineer clown posse: a crazy ten-lane wide airstrip of a road running rail-straight for miles, built as if meant to be seen from low orbit, with cars routinely reaching 50 or 60mph. But look closer: there's a bike lane! Trace it on a map, and you'll realize that it's the longest bike lane in all of Los Angeles County, stretching nine miles from Crenshaw Blvd. to the sea — in essence, it's the closest thing to a bicycle boulevard LA has. All that needs to be done is to make cycling on Venice an actually pleasant experience, instead of the freeway-like battle it currently is. See it narrowed!High quality prints available

explore the map

venice boulevard + helms avenue, culver city

Ah, Helms Bakery. It's like a home-making, feather-nesting Disneyland for grownups, complete with gourmet carnival food (Father's Office burgers, the Let's Be Frank hot dog truck). But few know the secret identity of Venice Blvd., the street adjacent to Helms. At first glance, it's just another product of LA's insane civil engineer clown posse: a crazy ten-lane wide airstrip of a road running rail-straight for miles, built as if meant to be seen from low orbit, with cars routinely reaching 50 or 60mph. But look closer: there's a bike lane! Trace it on a map, and you'll realize that it's the longest bike lane in all of Los Angeles County, stretching nine miles from Crenshaw Blvd. to the sea — in essence, it's the closest thing to a bicycle boulevard LA has. All that needs to be done is to make cycling on Venice an actually pleasant experience, instead of the freeway-like battle it currently is. See it narrowed!High quality prints available